Pedal-assisted

Jack Skopinski's latest industrial-looking semi-recumbent electric-assist ride riffs off of 2016's EV4 trike, with that signature tilting mechanism, but moves the pedals to the front of the frame and replaces the upright bike seat with a laid-back bucket.​

​It was last November that we first heard about the Podbike, a velomobile being developed by Norwegian firm Elpedal. At the time, it only existed as a rolling chassis. Recently, however, the first complete prototype was presented at an event in Norway.

​​Former bike shop owner Fabrizio Cross once asked himself, what would it take to get more people out of their cars and onto bicycles? His answer was "A bike that could do more, go farther, and take less effort." That vehicle now exists, in the form of the Electrom LEV (light electric vehicle).

Velomobiles usually take the form of a recumbent tricycle enclosed by a streamlined body, that MIGHT have a motor to augment the rider's pedalling power. The Podbike, however, is a little different. It has four wheels, two motors … and no chain.

MVT has unveiled the production version of its prototype MA1 e-bike. The company's engineers have spent the last few months optimizing battery performance, and now report that the Grunner X has almost double the expected range of the pre-production model – a whopping 350 km per charge.

​​You could say that the the aquatic equivalent of the car is the motorboat, and the aquatic equivalent of the motorcycle is the Jet Ski – but what about the equivalent of the e-bike? That would be the Manta5, an electric-assist pedal-powered hydrofoil.

​​Hovercrafts, scooters, skateboards and jetpacks. We've seen some pretty out-there ideas when it comes to how golfers can make their way across the links. A new electrified pushbike might not be the most exciting of the bunch, but it may have practicality on its side.

Surfers looking to transport their boards to the beach on two wheels could take inspiration from Deus ex Machina's Honda Super Cub, but those wanting to go emission-free may find the Cruzer of interest. The cafe racer/board tracker-styled e-bike can be supplied with a surfboard cradle.

​Although cargo bikes could already be described as the delivery vans of the bicycle world, the new electric-assist Tender trike is particularly deserving of the title. It's made for commercial-scale deliveries, and to support such loads, it actually has car-like wheels in the front.

​Why buy an e-bike, when you can just replace your regular bike's front wheel with one that has an electric motor? That's the thinking behind recent products such as the Omni Wheel and Electron Wheel. UrbanX has now also thrown its hat in the ring, with its lightweight Eco and Booster wheels.